Apparatus for handling granular material.



N0. 689,029. Patented Dec. 5119M. A. SMH'H. APPARATUS FOR HANDLINGGBANULM? MATERIAL.

(Application filed. July 29, 1901.)

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No. 689,023. I I Patented Dec. I7, 1901.

A. SMITH.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING GB'ANULAR MATERIAL.

(Application filed July 29. 1901.)

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No. 689,029. A I A. SMITH.

APPARATUS FDR HANDLING GRANULAR MATERIAL.

(Application filed July 29, 1901.)

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I of my invention is to simplify and improve UNITED STATES AUGUSTUSSMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING GRANULAR MATERIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,029, dated December17, 1901.

Application filed July 29,1901.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS SMITH, a citizzen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the county of NewYork, State of New York, have invented Apparatus for Handling Coal andother Granular Material, of which the following is a specifi-cation.

My invention relates to the construction of a plant for the handling andstorage of coal and other granular material; and the object theconstruction andoperation of such a plant or apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectionas if taken on the line 1 1, Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic planview showing the arrangement of the endless convoluted track. Fig. 3 isa side elevation of the structure on the inclinedtrack side, a partbeing broken out in order to get the View within the compass of thesheet.

While my invention is applicable to the handling and storage of variouskinds of granular material, it is particularly useful for the handlingand storage of coal at a coaling-station.

r A A indicate the four side walls 01": a rectangular storage structurewhich I prefer to provide with a floor a a, inclined downward from alongitudinal center line to both sides with discharge-gates along eachside at D D, the whole being suitably mounted upon a structure S on theground X. In the drawings I have indicated the plant as if located at awharf, W representing water where floating vessels may be brought up tothe edge of the wharf and alongside the building either to unload coalor other granular material into the building for storage or to be loadedwith suchmaterial from the supply in the build ing. The building may,however, be arranged alongside of or between standard-gagerailway-tracks or elsewhere convenient for loading and unloading bymeans of any suitable hoisting, elevating, or conveying appliances.

I prefer to .cover the storage-house with a roof at a, inclined to besubstantially parallel with the floors ct a, whose inclines are at suchan angle as that the granular material will flow down them. Immediatelyover the lon- Serial No. 70,094. (No model.)

. gitudinal center line of the building or, in

other words, along the line of the ridge is a passage-way a ofsufficient cross-section for the passage therethrough of any suitableloading and unloading cars upon a track 9, sup ported on the structureof the building. Upon that side of the building on which the principalloadin g and unloading is to take place the wharf side in the caseillustrated-I provide at the upper part of the building a track 9 atsuch a height as may be convenient for loading vessels or cars or forunloading them into the building through the aid of any wellknownhoisting or conveying means. I have shown this track 9 as mounted upon astructure E upon the building. A spout or chute of an elevatingapparatus is indicated at 15 for the transfer of the coal or othergranular material which has been hoisted by elevating appliances fromvessels or cars alongside the building below, while at 16 I haveindicated part of a chute by which granular material may be dischargedfrom the cars 0 to vessels or railway-cars below. At the lower part ofthe building are two car-tracks 2 and 2, passing along under thedischarge gates or hoppers D along the sides of the building. Uponopening these gates D the ears 0 on these tracks may be loaded with thegranular material in the building, or these cars while on these sametracks may be loaded with material from outside the building,with theaid or not of elevating means, discharging into the cars through chutes13 or 14, Fig. 1. The two upper tracks 9 and 9 and the two lower tracks2 and 2 are connected together into one endless track in convolutions inthe manner which will be better understood on reference to thediagrammatic plan view, Fig. 2. that the two tracks 2 and 2', runninglengthwise of the building at its lower part, are connected together atone end of the building (the right hand in the view) by a return-bend 3,while the two upper tracks Sand 9', also running longitudinally of thebuilding, are connected together at the opposite end of the building bya return bend 10. Thus the tracks 2, 2, and 3 constitute one loop at thelower part of the building, while the tracks 9, 9, and 10 constituteanother loop above the storage part of the structure and over the lowerloop, the open ends of the loop being It will be there seen at oppositeends of the building. I connect these two loops together into oneendless convoluted track by means of two inclined tracks (S and '7,running lengthwise of the building, preferably on the opposite side ofthe building from that on which the track 9 is situated. As shown inFig. 1, these tracks 6 and 7 may be supported upon a suitable structureF, and they inclinein the same direction side by side, the inclinationextending, say, the length of the bracket Z in Fig. 2. At the bottom ofthese inclined tracks the track 6 is connected by a return-bend 4 to theleg 2 of the lower loop, while the track 7 is connected by a return-bend5 to the other leg 2 of the lower loop. At the top of the inclinedtracks the leg 9 of the upper loop is connected by a return-bend 8 tothe track 6, while the leg 9 of the same upper loop is connected by abend 11 to the track 7. Thus a cross-section taken through the buildingat any point in its length will apparently cut through six cartracks-twobelow, 2 2, two above, 9 9, and

the inclined connecting tracks 6 7 at the side. The direction of travelof the cars 0 on the endless track may be as indicated by the arrows inFig. 2 or in the reverse, as may be found convenient.

While my invention is especially advantageous where a cable K, Fig. 1,is employed, (since it will require the use of but a single cable,) I donot wish to restrict myself to the employment of any special motivepower. For example, compressed air, electricity, or other means may beused for traversing the cars.

Supposing that it is desired to load a vessel or car at W with coal orother granular material stored in the building, the cars 0 as they pass(say in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 2) over the tracks 2 and 2 areloaded at the gates D, Fig. 1, and they then pass by return-bend 4, Fig.2, up the inclined track 6 and bend 8 to the elevated track 9, alongwhich any well-known trip devices may be set to cause the loads to bedischarged from the cars 0 and down a chute or chutes 16, Fig. 1, intothe vessels. The empty cars pass on around the bend 10, Fig. 2, track 9,bend 11, and down the inclined track 7 and bend 5 to the lower track 2to be reloaded. Supposing it be desired to transfer the coal fromvessels or cars into storage in the building, the cars 0 may be loadedthrough chutes 13 and 14 while on the lower tracks 2 and 2", whence theypass, as before, by return-bend 4, Fig. 2, up the inclined way 6 to theupper bend 8, track 9, and bend 10 to the central trackway 9, Fig. 1,where suitably-set trips may be employed to cause the discharge of thematerial into storage over the floor ad, or, if found preferable, thecars 0 may be loaded by elevating apparatus and chute 15, Fig. 1, whileon the track 9 and discharge into the house while traversing track 9.

In the storage of bituminous coal it is important to limit the depth ofcoal in order to avoid spontaneous combustion, and it is for that reasonI made the floor a a inclined at about the natural angle which acoal-pile will assume, thus securing large storage capacity with a safedepth. It is also found necessary to turn the pile of coal over atintervals or stir it up in order to avoid combustion in layers of evenmoderate depth. My improved construction of apparatus is especiallyadapted to do this. For this purpose, the cable being set in motion, thecars 0 are loaded from the coal in storage as the cars pass along thetracks 2 2, Fig. 1, and thence they pass the bend 4, Fig. 2, up theincline 6, bend 8, track 9, and bend 10 to the track 9, along which thecars are discharged, to thence pass back along the endless convolutedtrack to be charged again below, and so on until the pile of coal hasbeen sufficiently turned over to free it from danger of spontaneouscombustion.

It will now be seen that by means of a single endless track,pern1ittingthe use of a single operating-cable, I am able to provide for variousdifferent modes of loading, unloading, and transferring with verylimited attendance.

'1 wish it to be understood that in this specification I use theexpression cars in a sufficiently general sense to include any suitableconveying car or bucket adapted to discharge as Well as to receive andconvey a load of material.

I claim as my invention- 1. A plant for handling coal or other granularmaterial, said plant comprising a storage structure with an endlessconvoluted track for cars, said track consisting of a loop at the upperpart of the structure and a loop at the lower part of the structureunderneath the upper loop, and two. inclined tracks connecting the upperand lower loops, substantially as described.

2. A plant for handling coal or other gran ular material, said plantcomprising a storage structure with a floor inclined from center tosides and discharge-gates at the sides at the bottom of the inclines incombination with an endless convoluted track for cars, said trackconsisting of an upper loop, one leg of which is over the storage part,while the other is at a point suitable for loading and discharging thecars, a lower loop under the gates, and two inclined tracks connect ingthe upper and lower loops, substantially as described.

3. A plant for handling coal or other granular material, said plantcomprising a storage structure with a floor inclined from center tosides and discharge-gates at the sides at the bottom of the inclines incombination with an endless convoluted track for cars, said trackconsisting of upper and lower loops and inclined connecting-tracks.

4. A plant for handling coal and other granular material said plantcomprising a storage structure,in combination with an endless convolutedtrack for cars, said track having one ame loop above and one below thestorage part of the structure, with inclined connectingtracks, one legof the upper loop being along the line for discharge of the materialinto storage, and the other leg of the upper loop being along alineadapted for receiving and discharging the material, While the lower loopis along lines for the cars thereon to receive the material fromstorage.

5. A plant for handling coal or other granular material, said plantcomprising a storage structure in combination with an endless convolutedtrack for cars, said track having one loop below and one loop above thestorage part of the structure, one leg of the upper [5 loop being alonga line for discharge of the material into storage, while the lower loopis along lines for the cars thereon to receive the material from storageand also from outside sources, and two inclined tracks connecting 20said upper and lower loops.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

AUGUSTUS SMITH.

Witnesses:

HUBERT HOWSON,

F. WARREN WRIGHT.

